Arbuckle FCU: 2022 CUNA National Award Winner

Desjardins Youth and Adult Financial Education Award

The Desjardins program recognizes leadership in financial literacy for all ages and considers activities supporting the personal finance education of members and non-members.

And the winners are:

Arbuckle Federal Credit Union, Ada, Okla.
Category: Less than $50 million in assets
Project: Credit Reports and Budgeting for Teenagers
Overview: In 2021, Arbuckle FCU taught in-person at 11 high schools for about 1,280 students using a reality fair-type program to teach about budgeting, credit reports, borrowing, co-borrowing, gambling, bankruptcy, collections, retirement, saving, the credit union difference, and other financial literacy topics. Through examples, students learn about vehicle loans, unsecured loans, and home loans, as well as how credit scores affect the interest rate and amount they will pay on big-ticket items. Credit reports are a primary, in-depth focus. Volunteers, which include military personnel, CU board members, business owners, and insurance agents, travel with staff to share their stories with the students.

Tinker Federal Credit Union, Tinker AFB, Okla.
Category: More than $1 billion in assets
Project: Family Awareness and Community Teamwork (FACT) Program: OKC Police Department and TFCU Financial Education
Overview: TFCU partnered with the Family Awareness and Community Teamwork  gang prevention program of the Oklahoma City Police Department to provide financial education to at-risk youth. Together, TFCU and FACT implemented a four-part financial series for youths ages 13–17 over a two-month period. The mission helps youth learn the importance of good money management skills through in-person workshops. Students learned how to create a budget, make decisions about needs and wants, and understand the impact of their decisions on the ability to live the life they want.